The present invention generally relates to automated guided vehicle systems, and in particular to an automated guided vehicle system with automatic battery recharging stations.
Automatic guided vehicles (AGV) are widely used in a variety of industrial settings, including factories and hospitals. AGVs move automatically from one location to another, generally following a guide wire or track. AGVs are used to transport materials from location to location without requiring a vehicle driver.
Most AGVs are powered by rechargeable batteries. Battery recharging, whether carried out manually or automatically, is a source of disruption and inefficiency in automatic guided vehicle systems.
In a typical manual recharging system, an operator periodically tests the charge state of a vehicle""s battery. If the charge state is found to be low, the battery is removed and placed on a battery charger. Labor costs, untimeliness of testing and recharging, and human error are disadvantages of manual testing.
Automatic recharging systems are also available. In a typical automatic recharging system, the AGVs are equipped with battery monitors. When the battery is low the vehicle returns to a recharging station. The location of the recharging station is either pre-programmed into the AGV or is provided by a remote computer in response to a request from the AGV. A disadvantage of this system is that the recharging operations interfere with the productive operation of the AGVs, resulting in the need for more AGVs and greater space to accommodate the additional AGVs. Therefore, there is an unsatisfied need for an AGV system that provides for automatic recharging of AGVs while maximizing the availability of AGVs for productive use.
The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The present invention provides AGV systems with automatic recharging and a central processor for control. The central processor monitors the charge states of the AGVs, assigns them to tasks, and can determines when to recharge the AGVs. The central processor can optimize the operation of the AGVs to achieve various objectives which can include, for example, maximizing AGV availability, maximizing battery life, and/or maximizing recharging station utilization. Systems and methods of the invention can maximize the utilization of AGV equipment and minimize the number of AGVs required to accomplish a given set of tasks.
One aspect of the invention provides an automated guided vehicle system comprising a plurality of battery powered guided vehicles, an automatic recharging station for recharging the guided vehicles, and a central processor, wherein the central processor receives task requests, monitors a charge status for the guided vehicles, and selects guided vehicles to perform the tasks.
Another aspect of the invention provides an automated guided vehicle system comprising a plurality of battery powered guided vehicles, means for automatically recharging the vehicles, means for assigning tasks to the vehicles, and means for coordinating automatically recharging the vehicles with assigning tasks to the vehicles.
A further aspect of the invention provides a method of operating a plurality of battery powered guided vehicles comprising using a central processor to assign tasks to the vehicles, monitor a charge status for the vehicles, and control recharging of the vehicles.
The invention extends to features hereinafter fully described and features particularly pointed out in the claims. The following detailed description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative examples of the invention. These examples are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed and other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the invention when consider in conjunction with the drawings.